'Blue Bloods' star Donnie Wahlberg says cast 'did everything we could' to save hit show
Donnie Wahlberg and the rest of the cast and the crew of "Blue Bloods" went to great lengths to keep the show on air after 14 seasons. The drama series aired its final episode Friday night.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the "Very Scary People" host opened up about the emotional final dinner scene and how eerie the silence was on set after the final "cut" was shouted.
"I think one thing that I think about from time to time is, when we finished filming the scene, the entire crew came into the Reagan house. And we're all standing around. There's a couple hundred people standing there. And it was quiet for a minute.
"I think there was a long pause after they said ‘cut.’ And I think we all stood there or sat there kind of hoping that either, A, someone would say, ‘Hey, it’s all just a joke. We're going to keep filming more episodes.' Or B, everyone was hesitant because we knew once somebody started talking, we'd all become emotional," Wahlberg said.
"I think one of the things we haven't really talked about is having worked so long with the crew that we had in New York City. I personally — and I'm sure some of the other castmates — felt bad. I felt sad. Like, we tried to keep the show going. We tried to help the show carry on, and we couldn't. We couldn't do it. You know, we did everything we could, everything in our power, to have the show carry on."
Wahlberg told Fox News Digital he's grateful for the crew he's worked with for over a decade and can't help but feel like the cast is "letting them down a little bit."
"That was tough. That was tough to process, you know. And I know the crew wouldn't feel that way. But in some ways, we just kept sort of believing we would keep the show going. When that finale ended, it was kind of like reality hit us all. It was definitely a part of it, a bit of like, ‘Gosh, you know, if we could have just kept going a few more years, you know?’"
"We got close to that crew, and they have, you know, families and mortgages and a lot of responsibilities. It was a really cool feeling to go to work every day knowing that hundreds of New Yorkers who work on this show had these careers that we were a part of. And just to know that that was ending, it was tough. It was tough. I'm sure it's scary for them. It had a lot of emotion because of that," Wahlberg said.
Wahlberg reflected on his time on "Blue Bloods."
"We worked hard to represent the people of New York and the NYPD, and we worked hard to keep the show going and to keep it compelling for 14 years. And it was a lot to say goodbye. It might sometimes, from the outside, seem weird, like, 'Oh, all these actors are crying that their show's over.' But we did become a family, and we did become a family with the crew. And just to say goodbye to them was emotional," Wahlberg said.
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CBS aired the final episode of "Blue Bloods" Friday, Dec. 13. The hit series starred Wahlberg, Tom Selleck, Will Estes and Bridget Moynahan.
Wahlberg has had some memorable moments with Selleck over the years.
The boy band star-turned-actor has been open about how he calls Selleck "dad," but the most memorable moment for him was when Selleck called him "son" for the first time.
"I'll never forget that. I was sitting in my dressing room. He walked down the hallway. He had just finished his own scenes, and I was getting ready to start mine. He said, ‘Hey, son' and kept walking. We've called each other dad and son on camera and off since then," Wahlberg said.
On Friday, Wahlberg penned an emotional letter to Selleck on Instagram.
"Fourteen years of calling this man my cast mate, my commissioner, my friend and — whether it was on screen or off — calling him DAD! It’s been an honor, my dear friend. Thank you for leading the way and for always trusting in me. Thank you for being a father figure, and a leader, to all of us on the set of Blue Bloods. Our tour has ended, but the friendship, admiration, respect and memories, will remain. Happy Blue Bloods Finale Friday.
"Love you, Dad. All my gratitude, Donnie aka Danny aka Son," his caption concluded.
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As "Blue Bloods" concludes, Wahlberg is gearing up for the next season as host of a true-crime series, Investigation Discovery's "Very Scary People."
"This season we’re diving deeper into each case, sharing raw, first-person accounts from those directly involved," Wahlberg said. "It’s more personal, more emotional and resonates on a whole new level."
The true-crime series, hosted by Wahlberg, "delves into the depths of nefarious crimes and the masterminds behind them. The series offers personal firsthand accounts, rare in-depth interviews and remarkable archival footage, weaving a captivating narrative of these chilling tales," according to the show's press release.
"Each episode spotlights a criminal whose horrific acts terrorized their communities, tracing their deranged actions from inception to the eventual triumph of justice."
"Very Scary People" premieres on ID on Dec. 15 at 9 p.m. ET.